1. Mali Kingdom Itinerary
DAY 1
-Picking and weaving cotton
-Visit of the Gold Mines
7:30 Breakfast time in the city of Niani! Make sure you wake up early enough to get dressed,
as we don't have much time before our busy program starts. Breakfast will include some
traditional early morning dishes, as well as typical European breakfast for those who like to
stick to their routine. Whatever you choose to eat make sure you eat enough- as today will
be long day including lots of physical work. After breakfast you will have some time to pack
the things you need for the day.
8:15 Time to go! We will leave the place we are staying at with our day packs. A camel
caravan will bring us to the outskirts of Niani, to the cotton fields. For those who have never
ridden a camel before this should be a unique experience in itself. Once there, farmers and
slaves will teach you how to pick and weave cotton. As picking and weaving cotton is a time-consuming
and strenuous task, we will spend half our day at the cotton fields. Hopefully at
the end of our time there you will have managed to weave your own hand towel with the
slaves' help. For those who want to know more: Cotton was first introduced in Mali in
1230 AD, by Sundiata Keita. Thanks to the cotton, the Mali Empire was now able to create
pieces of clothing and other things out of cotton, which they were also able to trade on the
Trans Saharan trade route. Based on that, we can definitely agree that this was a
progressive technology, for it impacted Mali's economy in a good way and proved to be
innovative.
12:30 Lunch time. With the slaves and the farmers we will eat a specially prepared dish of
millets, a crop that grows throughout Mali and that is very healthy and nutritious. Water will
also be aplenty. If you have any last questions regarding the agriculture of cotton or
questions directed at our hosts, feel welcome to ask them now.
13:15 Time to mount of camels and wave goodbye to the cotton weavers. Make sure you
have all your belongings with you (don't forget your handmade towel!), as we are not coming
back to this place. On our camels we will travel further South Niani and the cotton fields, until
we reach one of Mali's major Gold Mines.
13:50 We should have reached the Gold Mines by now. Take a minute to observe the
cavernous gold hive from the outside; quite a sight, is it not? Don't hesitate to take a photo!
An English speaking Miner will be our guide for the tour of the Gold Mines. Look at the sheer
size of this mine, the endless tunnels burrowing into the ground. Now imagine that this is
only one of Mali's many gold mines. The guide will start by showing the outside of the Gold
Mines, later we will descend into some of the tunnels. For those who are brave enough the
guide will lead the way into one of the thin mining tunnels, a thin vertical black hallway lined
with working miners. Keep in mind that mines are a very dangerous place, so obey the
guide's instructions. If any of the dark mining tunnels prove to be unsafe at the time, the
guide will lead an evacuation to minimize the danger. For those who want to know more:
The gold mines impacted Mali's economy in a progressive way. During Mansa Musa's reign,
Mali controlled and owned 2/3 of the world's gold supply, making the Musa a very rich man.
It is important to know that the Mali Empire's existence and ability to flourish is solely based
on Sundaita Keita's strategy to seize the Gold Mines and to ensconce them within the Mali
borders. Traders using the Trans Saharan trade routes were taxed, and gold was often
traded for salt back in the day. The gold made the Empire possible. If the Gold Mines hadn't
been part of Mali, the Empire would never have been able to flourish and expand, therefore
the conquering of the Gold Mines by Sundiata Keita could also be viewed as a turning point.

2. 15:50 Now is the time to rest for a moment and let your eyes adjust to the day's brightness.
The miners will have a small break, so this is your opportunity to ask them any questions you
may have. For example: what are your living conditions? How many people have died or
injured themselves while mining gold? Have inventions been made to make the mining of
gold any easiDer? This is also your time to eat a little snack you have brought along. Also, if
you wish to obtain a souvenir follow the guide to the gift shop.
16:30 Time to make our way back to Niani. After readying the camels (adjusting the saddle,
giving them a drink of water, etc.) they will bring us back to the place we are staying at.
17:15 Approximate arrival at the Niani hotel. You have some free time to take a shower and
ready yourself for dinner. You may roam the streets of Niani if you wish, but stay safe and
come back in time for dinner.
19:30 Dinner time at the hotel. Most probably consisting of a dish called nsaamè, a serving
of rice with meat and vegetables.
22:00 Lights out, and time to sleep!
DAY 2
-Travelling to Timbuktu by participating in Mansa Musa's Hajj
7:30 Time for another empowering breakfast. Again, wake up early enough to dress. The
same food types as yesterday will be available at the breakfast buffet. After everyone has
eaten their fill, we will inform you as to what you may want to put into your daypack. After
that, you have time to get ready, brush your teeth, pack your luggage, etc.
7:45 Bring your luggage down to the lobby, so that it can be loaded onto a camel caravan.
While follow our daily program, the heavy luggage will be transported to Timbuktu, so that
we don't have to carry it during the day. All we will have on ourselves is our daypack. Go
back to your room to check you have packed everything, as we will not be coming back to
Niani.
8:15 Look out the window to see Mansa Musa and 70,000 followers trooping through the
savanna towards Niani. Mansa Musa was the first West African ruler to participate (in this
case organize) a Hajj to Mecca. Mansa Musa was fully committed to the religion of Islam,
and he wanted to spread the religion further throughout Africa by raising awareness.
Awareness he got, not only from the rest of Africa but also from other continents like Europe.
For the first time Mali was acknowledged on a European map called the Catalan Atlas
created by Abraham Cresques. We will learn more about that map later. Europe's
recognition of Mali increased Mali's international trade. Mansa Musa's Hajj was a
progressive event, as well as being the catalyst for better overseas trade. Better get down
fast, as we are going to join them. We are bringing along two camels, so that we can take
turns taking a break, and to help carry extra water canisters, as we are going to walk all day
in the intense heat. From Niani we are walking North East, towards the city of Timbuktu.
12:30 The pilgrimage party will stop to rest and have lunch. The camels will carry our lunch,
and it will consist of light fiber rich foods, so that your stomach is not to fully or heavy when
we start walking again. If you are feeling any discomfort or pain in your feet make it known,
so that we can prevent it from getting worse. Walking all day causes many blisters, so it is
important to take care of your feet, especially is they are not used to walking such long
distances in such an environment.
13:00 Time to start walking again. Take notice of all the people and camels participating in
the Hajj, Isn't it amazing? The color of the different tunics, the shuffle of footsteps on the
sandy ground and the positive atmosphere urging everyone on.

3. 16:00 Time to stop for a small snack.
16:15 Let's get moving again. Keep going, we're almost there.
18:00 Finally we have made it to the educational city of Timbuktu. Mansa Musa and his
pilgrimage party will keep going until night falls. It will take them a few more days to reach
Mecca. If you have bonded with any of the travellers during the day say goodbye and wish
them good luck. We will move towards Sankore University, close to the center of the city.
Our luggage is already in our hotel rooms. You have an hour until dinner time, so use the
time to shower and rest.
19:00 Dinner time! Everyone is surely very tired, so we'll have a quick dinner with good
rewarding food.
21:00 Lights out! Today was a hard day, and tomorrow you have to get up early again. If you
are very tired, feel free to go to sleep earlier. Rest, relax and have a god night's sleep.
DAY 3
-Visit of Sankore University + live cataract eye surgery
-Map making course with Abraham Cresques
7:30 Let's eat breakfast! Get up a little earlier to get dressed, and head down to get
energized for the morning. Afterwards you have time to get your daypack together, brush
your teeth, etc.
8:15 Meet downstairs in the lobby. We'll walk to Sankore University on foot, as it's only five
minutes away from the hotel.
8:20 Arrival at the famous Sankore University. The city of Timbuktu was also under Mali's
power, once they had seized its reign from the Songhai Empire (the king's two sons were
taken as hostages). The city stood as a symbol of education, wisdom and knowledge. It
offered courses like Islamic law, literature, study of the Qu'ran, astronomy and chemistry.
Many scientific discoveries were made at this university, for example cataract eye surgery.
Again, a progressive technology for Mali; scientific discoveries continued to be made.
Sankore University is not only a university the enabled some of Mali's progress, it is also a
continuity. In the later stages of the Mali Empire the Songhai Empire captured the city of
Timbuktu, and Sankore University kept educating scholars, who then made scientific
discoveries. Today we will get a tour of the University by one of the English speaking
scholars. In addition to that, we will get to see caract eye surgery performed on a patient.
How exciting does that sound? Visiting and watching cataract eye surgery at Sankore
University will take about half the day.
12:30 Lunch time! We'll have lunch in the university's cafeteria.
13:00 Time to leave the university, we have a map making course to get to. We will walk
towards the western half of the city. There we have arranged a course on how to draw maps
with Abraham Cresques. First Abraham will show and explain the Catalan Atlas to you, the
very first map of Mali ever made. This map is very precious to historians today as it is one of
the few primary sources from the Mali Empire. In the Mali Kingdom few people wrote
anything down, history was remembered through songs and music. The Catalan Atlas was a
progressive creation for the Mali Empire, as it was recognized by more continents, and trade
steadily improved. Also, it is a continuity, as the Catalan Atlas still exists today. After that, he
will teach you how to draw maps, and how to add creative elements to them. You will be
given your own parchment paper with map making tools, and it is up to you to create a map
of Mali based on what you have experienced in the last few days. It would be clever to

4. include Niani and Timbuktu on your map, and you can draw as many details in as you like.
You could document the types of foods you've eaten at different locations, for example!
16:00 We have finished our program for the day, so it is free time! You are free to go around
the city as you like, in groups of at least two. Use the time to go shopping, snack in
traditional cafes, etc.
18:30 Be back at the hotel by this time at the latest, to give you time to organize the things
you have bought, take a shower, relax, etc. Dinner is in half an hour.
19:00 The time to eat dinner has come! We are not eating dinner at the hotel, instead we are
going out into the city to eat at a cosy local restaurant. A nice way to end our three days in
Mali, is it not?
21:00 Let's get back to the hotel.
22:00 Lights out. Tomorrow we move forwards in time just a little, to experience the last
West African kingdom: the Songhai Empire.